Top Open Source Alternatives for Jira in 2019

Jira is one of the most popular project management software solutions. However, we have seen that cost is a significant constraint with Jira. As the organization expands, it can become an expensive proposition to use it. Therefore, let us review some Jira alternatives open-source that can work as effectively, and be accessible on the budget, as well.

Jira is one of the most popular project management software and bug-tracking tools available on the market. Agile teams would love to have Jira as an ally. Developed by Atlassian, Jira is active in more than 122 countries with a customer base exceeding 75,000. It is a preferred plug-in because it integrates with Subversion, ClearCase, and Git and Team Foundation Server.

Jira Features

Jira tool has tremendous features such as create filters, customizable scrum board, real-time reports, integrate with other tools, flexible Kanban board, and a robust set of APIs. With such rich features, who would not like to use the Jira tool? However, there is a significant constraint, and that is the Jira pricing.

Jira Pricing

The Jira pricing is dependent on the number of users you have in the Agile Team. If you have ten members in the team, you end up paying a flat rate of $10 per month. The Jira ticketing system changes with the inclusion of more members. The moment your team expands to more than 10, you have to pay $7 for each user per month. Thus, an 11-member team incurs a Jira cost of $77, whereas a 20-member team has to shell out $140. It is one of the most significant disadvantages of Jira project management tool.Hence, there is a need to search for Jira alternatives. Here are some of the ideal Jira alternatives available today. We shall make a swift comparison before discussing the features of four of the top Jira alternatives.

Tool

OS Support

Company size

Support available

Cost

Integration

Jira

Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and web-based platform

Small, medium, Enterprise business

Online, Video tutorials, Phone,

Starting at $10 per month

Salesforce, GitHub, Gliffy, Sales Cloud, Zendesk, and Zephyr

Jira is one of the most popular project management software solutions. Most of the international giant corporate entities like NASA, eBay, LinkedIn, Adobe, Cisco, and Salesforce use Jira software for obvious reasons. Here are some advantages of Jira.

Better visibility – Jira connects software teams together, whereby all members can update each other in real-time. Thus, members get an idea as to where exactly their project stands at a particular point in time. It results in greater efficiency from the team.

Allows prioritization – The most significant benefit of Jira is that it allows prioritizing tasks better. Thus, members become aware which of the functions needs immediate attention. It proves useful when it comes to sticking to deadlines.

Increased Productivity – With Jira, the team members are always on their toes because they know what to do next. Therefore, there is less time lost between tasks, thereby going on to increase the overall productivity of the company.

Connected on the Go – Jira is widely available with mobile apps. Therefore, team members can be on the job at any time. It becomes easy to communicate with members who might be on leave.

More than 1000 add-ons – Jira comes with more than a thousand add-ons, thereby making it more useful for Agile teams.

However, we have seen that cost is a significant constraint with Jira. As the organization expands, it can become an expensive proposition to use Jira. Therefore, let us review some Jira alternatives open-source that can work as effectively, and be accessible on the budget, as well.

Competitors or Alternatives to Jira

Tool

OS Support

Company size

Support available

Cost

Integration

Bugzilla

Mobile-iOS Native and Android Native, SaaS Web-based

All types of businesses

Online, Video tutorials, virtual calls,

Free

Almost all systems, as it is a Mozilla product

SpiraTeam

Browser-based, and Cross-platform

All types of businesses

Phone, video tutorials, online

A licensing approach that supports unlimited named users for unlimited projects

SpiraTeam is an Integrated Application-Lifecycle Management system. It helps to manage all the requirements of a project in a unified environment. It supports Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, XP, Kanban, and hybrid methodologies.

Features of SpiraTeam

SpiraTeam helps to track and record bugs, enhancements, risks, and issues. It also allows users to capture, prioritize, and schedule requirements depending on the release. Users can create, edit, and execute test-cases while assigning test sets for execution. SpiraTeam maintains a full audit history of changes made to the system. Personalized dashboards are available in SpiraTeam to customize reporting along with web-based graphs and reports in MS-Office and HTML formats.

Advantages over Jira

Disadvantages in comparison to Jira

SpiraTeam is not a generic blob tracker, as every part is built to function in a specific manner.

Does not support the creation of visual workflows

Integrates testing activity into the development lifecycle

Does not allow end-users to customize

Get standard reports, charts, and graphs with zero customization

No support to Gantt Charts

The document management repository supports various activities like tagging, versioning of documents, and linking them to multiple work items

Jira is a better alternative when it comes to dealing with simple solutions

Backlog is a popular all-in-one project management tool designed for development and cross-functional teams.

Features of Backlog

It is easy to manage projects, tasks, and subtasks with Backlog. Some of the useful task attributes include milestones, assignees, progress, priorities, and milestones. Burndown and Gantt charts are available. Backlog has a built-in Wiki to allow users to document processes, make edits, and track changes. Web-based and self-hosted versions are available. It supports both iOS and Android apps.

Advantages as compared to Jira

Disadvantages in comparison

Easy to set up and start

Does not support Kanban

Has a simple user interface

When compared to Jira, it has fewer integrations

Backlog has Wiki, and Git/SVN built in, whereby users do not have to purchase them separately

Backlog has an unlimited user plan, making it a cost-effective alternative to Jira

Developed by Mozilla, Bugzilla is a web-based bug-tracking tool. Apart from tracking bugs, it provides a wide range of project management features.

Features of Bugzilla

It is one of the most convenient Jira alternatives open-source software solutions. Bugzilla works with various OS such as UNIX, Windows, and so on. It features an optimized database for enhanced levels of performance. Bugzilla is available in multiple languages. Bugzilla is one of the best free Jira alternatives. It has integrated email capabilities.

Advantages over Jira

Disadvantages in comparison

It is available free of cost

Drag and drop feature is not available

It has a powerful and effective search facility. Hence, it is one of the ideal issue tracking software solutions available today.

Low server-side load

Access to security patches at frequent intervals

Comparatively tedious access process

Reduces cost by providing IT and telephone support

Higher security risk in comparison to Jira because of client-side JavaScript Coding

Redmine is one of the best issue tracking tools available on Ruby on Rails. It dates back to 2006. Hence, one can say that Redmine is a sophisticated tool that has weathered many a storm.The best quality of Redmine is that it can manage multiple projects at the same time. It is also capable of integrating with various version control systems. Besides functioning as an essential issue tracking software, Redmine offers forums, wikis, and can generate Gantt charts and calendars, as well.Redmine is a flexible tool in many ways. It supports numerous database back-ends and is available in a multilingual format. Thus, it is a customizable software solution. Apart from adding custom fields to users, issues, and projects, one can customize Redmine with community-created plug-ins and themes.

Advantages over Jira

Disadvantage in comparison to Jira

Redmine is available free of cost

Does not support all related tools as Jira does

It is an open-source software

Does not have a client base as compared to what Jira has

It is platform and database independent software

Jira has a better score of 9.3 out of 10 whereas Redmine ranks 8 out of 10

Can support multiple projects efficiently

We have seen the features of five Jira alternatives. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. Jira Project Management software is an excellent software solution. A comparison of the Confluence Vs Jira confirms this fact. However, Jira is expensive, whereby it becomes essential to search for better alternatives on the pricing front. These alternatives discussed here could fit the bill perfectly.